Wanting what we have

Science has shown us that our brains are very good at making predictions, even to the extent that most of our daily lives are spent executing actions that are based on a predicted reality. This reality is orchestrated by a specific area in the brain that is strongly connected to our ego and our primitive instinct for survival, and with the aid of modern technology we are able to track the neural pathways that are activated through this process.

Research now tell us that our brains are uniquely adapted to adjust in response to our environment, in effect "tuning" our anticipated actions to achieve the maximum desired result. This result can be anything we want, and we have the conscious ability to program the outcome of our actions towards survival, procreation, social advancement, our any version of success, fame or fortune we have in mind. Any thing that our ego may consider would make us feel good. Anything, including feeling good.

It is interesting to note that different neural pathways are activated depending on the nature of our desired outcome, and that these pathways are the same in all of us. With the use of flow magnetic resonance imaging researchers are discovering which areas of our brain are responsible for every type of human behavior you can imagine, and by generating this "map" of brain function we are now even able to "read minds" based only on the measured activity in specific parts of the brain. But when we focus on using our senses the brain changes the way it works.

When we focus on experiencing our environment the brain has a totally different way of operating which is currently not well understood, and which involves the activation of various parts simultaneously. And according to scientific reports these synchronized flares of activity are totally different from the fixed neural pathways discussed earlier. The neural activity observed when we use our senses involve different parts of the brain that are seemingly disconnected from each other, resulting in recognizable patterns rather than pathways. This is also the pattern of thinking we see when we choose to feel good.

When we consciously choose to feel good our brains stop predicting and start working, and according to the latest research the outcomes experienced by subjects are much more positive than those where the brain is in predictive mode. Examples of the advantages observed when our brains operate in feel-good mode are numerous and includes decreased stress and anxiety, higher learning capacity and greater satisfaction.

With the scientific evidence to back, perhaps it is time that we stop trying to make sense of where we are going, and start to sense where we are. If we can believe the research we will all be much happier if we change the way we think, but first we must have the courage that change what we want.

Trippy, isn't it?

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